


A Raw Heart

by iokayia



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Allura is strong, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Denial of Feelings, Dirty Talk, Dirty Thoughts, Drama, Fluff, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, James is so done, M/M, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Post-Season/Series 07, Romance, Slow Burn, Sparring
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2019-07-02 23:34:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15806817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iokayia/pseuds/iokayia
Summary: Despite fighting off an alien invasion, piloting a giant robot, and literally coming back from the dead, one thing hasn't changed: Shiro is still terrible at romance.That, and Keith is still right by his side.Saving the universe is a joint effort, and it seems saving Shiro from his own denial is going to takealmostas much help.





	1. Piece One - James

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! This is my first Voltron fic and it wouldn't be here without the great help of all the members of the VLD Creators server, my beta Rei and [Lex](https://twitter.com/Not_The_Alex), who was kind enough to write the summary. Thank you so much, you can't imagine how grateful I am. I hope you enjoy my fic, it will be updated every Sunday around 5 pm EST!

“So, Kogane, huh?”

Griffin’ sharp voice cut through the silence and startled Shiro, whose fingers jerked from the touchscreen in front of him. He had been alone in the big conference room for some hours now, trying to understand Atlas’ mechanisms, but he had failed horribly.

Out of all people, Griffin was the one Shiro wanted to see the least. He was dangerously curious and too smart for his own good. Smart enough to sense Shiro’s unease since the fight of Voltron and Atlas against the unknown robot and Keith’s saving him.

“What do you mean?” he asked and turned around, coming face to face with Griffin. He looked as smug as ever, his hair perfectly gelled, making Shiro wonder how he found time to waste for such vanity.

His eyes held a familiar fire, reminding him of Lance at the beginning of their journey - arrogant, cocky and self-confident. But while Lance had matured into someone steadfast and caring, Griffin seemed unchanged.

The chuckle in Griffin’ throat was deep but Shiro heard it regardless. “Don’t play stupid with me, Shirogane. You know exactly what I mean.”

Shiro raised his eyebrows - of course, he knew what Griffin meant, but it wasn’t his business. Was he that obvious? His chest tightened at the idea.

“It’s Captain for you, Griffin,” he stated sharply before he turned to the control panel again. He couldn’t keep up eye contact or he would have given himself away. He tried to sound as demanding as possible as he raised his voice again: “Since I do not understand your concern, Cadet Griffin, I suggest you leave.”

But sadly, Griffin Griffin wasn’t easy to intimidate, and he didn't give a damn about orders. It reminded him of a certain someone. Shiro’s fingers twitched at the thought.

“Bullshit. I’m not the only one who can’t stand the heart eyes you’re making at Kogane anymore.”

Okay, now Shiro was sure Griffin had lost his mind.

He turned around once more, his brows twitching in anger. It was difficult to ruffle Takashi Shirogane and you probably didn’t want to, either, considering how furious Shiro could get.

Griffin didn’t seem to mind; he looked like it was exactly what he wanted, judging by the smile playing around his lips. Shiro’s blood boiled at the idea of giving him exactly what he wanted, even though he didn’t know what it was.

“Cadet Griffin, I command you to leave this room immediately or-”

“Or what?” Griffin interrupted with a mischievous smile, “tell him you’re too ashamed of acknowledging you’ve got the hots for him?”

Shiro forced out another breath, behind clenched teeth.

“Cadet Griffin, I ordered you to leave-”

Griffin didn’t let him continue, whose grin faltered.

“So Kogane isn’t your thing, then?”

Shiro wanted to breathe out in relief, his chest felt so much lighter suddenly, and his mind went at ea-

“Perfect. He’s available.”

What?

His breath stopped forcefully and Shiro felt like someone had punched him in his gut.

Griffin’s eyes were filled with something dark, something Shiro felt when he looked at Keith during sparring sessions for too long and denied it to himself almost the same second. It was the way Adam used to look at him when they had a free evening before he took off his shirt.

It was lust.

The realization killed Shiro. Almost choking on thin air, he pressed out his next words, low and deep.

“What do you mean?”

The young man’s look trailed away from Shiro’s piercing one, wandering through the room. Griffin looked nonchalant, which made Shiro even angrier.

Nothing regarding Keith could be taken this easy, everything about him was important.

“Well, if you don’t have him, I could take him, couldn’t I?” Griffin paused for a few seconds, giving Shiro the opportunity to process his words before he continued. “I mean, look at him, he *so* needs it.”

Shiro clenched his teeth. “Needs what?”

Griffin’s eyes sparkled. “I mean, look at him. He so needs to get laid.”

These words hit Shiro unexpectedly hard - too hard to pretend he felt nothing for Keith. It was like something in him broke loose like a dam holding back masses of water.

“He has a nice smile, doesn't he?”

Shiro raised his eyebrows. “Why are you asking that?”

Of course, Keith had a nice smile, it was his smile after all. It was honest and earnest like he was but also soft and full of love. Shiro loved it - more than anything else probably.

Was it normal to think like that about someone you entitled as your friend?

Shiro made eye contact with Griffin again, who had leaned against the big table in front of him. He looked relaxed, his eyes looked a bit glazed while a dreamy smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Oh, I’m just wondering how they would look stretched around my cock.”

Griffin’s eyes fixed on Shiro’s face whose hand jerked violently at those words. He smiled.

“Cadet Griffin, watch your mouth,” he growled, his fingers clenching brutally around the edge of the table. He didn’t look at him, he couldn’t, he was too afraid of the lust in Griffin’s eyes, too afraid of being torn apart by it.

Griffin didn’t stop.

“Gosh, I love his fingerless gloves, they are so sexy. They show off his long fingers so nicely, I bet he uses them to finger himself.”

Shiro’s eyes rolled back at that thought behind closed lids. He could imagine Keith so well, lying face down on his bed, his wonderful back stretched, showing off all those hard muscles rippling beneath perfect skin. Shiro smothered a gasp as he thought about the way Keith would push back on his own fingers, his perky ass jiggling under the force of his trusts.

He would kill to see the blush on Keith’s cheeks, to see the plush lips forced apart by ragged breaths. He wanted to trace the lines his eyebrows would create, telling of the pleasure that rattled through him bone-deep.

He was a masterpiece and Shiro would never share him. Keith was his, all his. Nobody else was allowed to lay hand on Keith, nobody but him.

A growl left his lips as his eyes met Griffin’s and he licked his lips to ease his nervousness.

Griffin’s words sounded far away like Shiro heard them through mist. Yet he understood their meaning.

“There is no shame in liking someone, Shirogane.”

Those words rang deep in Shiro, down to his soul where they settled down comfortably like they already knew Shiro knew he liked Keith. Not just like a friend.

“I know,” he whispered, his eyes clenched like he was in pain. Well, he was to some extent, being exposed to Griffin so blatantly.

“Well, life’s not waiting for you,” Griffin said before he pushed himself from the table, his slow steps echoing loudly through the room. Shiro didn’t watch him, he kept his eyes focused on the ground before him. He tried to deal with the immense shame that overcame him, his feelings being uncovered by a *cadet* this easily.

He always had thought he would be collected and kept his feelings for himself. Guess Keith made another man out of him. A sigh left his lips, at the same time as Griffin’s steps stopped.

“You know,” Shiro heard and couldn’t resist looking up. The sight before him made his breath caught. Did Griffin look... guilty? His eyes were fixed on the door frame beneath him, his fingers curling loosely on the doorknob.

His look was filled with sorrow.

“Don’t wait too long, Shiro.”

Suddenly, he broke into a cocky grin and Shiro’s stomach tensed at that sight.

“I certainly won’t.”

And with those words he was gone, leaving a breathless, sweaty, and confused Shiro behind.

Shiro gripped his hair in desperation. Every memory of Keith, his soft smile, the tender look in his eyes, his hair floating in the wind, the gentle brush of his fingers...

Suddenly, everything made sense. Shiro tore his eyes open, blinking quickly a few times as he gasped in disbelief.

He felt something for Keith.

“Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed my work, please leave kudos or a comment, it means the world to me and they are super motivating.
> 
> If you want to follow me you can do it on [Tumblr](https://iokayia.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/iokayia). 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!


	2. Piece Two - Hunk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thank you so much for all your lovely comments, kudos and bookmarks. I never imagined so many people could possible like my work.
> 
> Thank you all so much, you made my week so much more wonderful.
> 
> Thus chapter wouldn't be here without my dear beta Rei and the nice people from The VLD Creators Server. Thank you all so much! 
> 
> I wish you a lot of fun and I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as the first one.

Shiro’s eyes were fixed on the gentle curve of Keith’s neck as he leaned towards Krolia. His lips brushed against purple strands and made Shiro question his life.

Dining together had ever been a problem before, not until Griffin basically sex-talked about Keith in front of him. That had been three days ago.

Three days Shiro had spent in utter fear of somehow being uncovered as the thirsty man he apparently was, much to his shame.

But was it his fault that Keith looked like a wet dream?

Surely not.

Shiro tried to avert his gaze from Keith but he couldn’t, not yet. Not when he laughed, a rare occasion Shiro loved more than anything else and he cherished every single time it happened.

He was so beautiful, so breathtakingly beautiful, making his heart ache in the sweetest ways.

Shiro often wondered how he had overlooked it all those times but apparently, it had needed a death, a space whale and a ruthless fight for him to recognize.

He was hopeless.

Krolia chuckled as well, her ears wagged in sympathy and Shiro couldn't resist imagining a Keith with beautiful, purple, fluffy ears.

They would be big, he was sure, but not too broad, they would be soft and pointy, like Keith himself.

Shiro's heart made a jump as he thought about touching them.

He quickly looked away before he could embarrass himself by being caught staring.

Next to Keith sat Lance, who had a gentle look on his face as he talked to Allura. Pride filled his chest as he watched them - Lance had matured so much, he had become a brave young man Shiro was lucky to call teammate, and he was even happier that Allura had recognized it as well. They would make a beautiful couple in Shiro's opinion, and he hoped they would become brave enough to talk to each other about their obviously mutual feelings with each other soon.

Suddenly, fear spread through his veins: Was he as obvious as Lance was? Maybe even more obvious?

Quickly, he looked down at his plate again. He hoped he wasn't.

The plate was still filled with the spaghetti Hunk had made earlier today. It smelled delicious, as always but Shiro couldn't force himself to eat even a bit of it. The sick feeling tightening his belly had only increased in recent days despite all of his attempts to get rid of it since the robot fight.

 _Maybe_ , he thought as he dared to look at Keith again, _i_ _t's him_.

His thought confirmed itself as Keith laughed again and his stomach tensed forcefully. He looked down on his plate again, his forehead full of wrinkles.

Yep, Keith made him lovesick.

Great.

He didn’t notice the worried look Hunk gave him across the table.

 

* * *

 

“Do you feel okay?"

Shiro who was currently busy with putting clean glasses away into one of the cupboards in the kitchen. He almost dropped the glass he was holding in shock.

He turned around to a very embarrassed Hunk who stood beside the door frame. Shiro's gaze turned soft as he saw the self-conscious look in his eyes.

“Of course I do, Hunk, why are you asking?"

He could see the increasing uneasiness in Hunk's eyes as he looked at Shiro. His tongue flicked nervously over his bottom lip before he raised his voice.

"Uhm, you haven't eaten. In like, days, Shiro."

Shiro's hands stopped roaming over the surface of the shelf as he turned back to Hunk again.

"Days?" He answered and raised his eyebrows.

It couldn't be that long, couldn't it? He could remember the last time he had eaten, crystal clear in front of his eyes, he remembered the smell and the taste it had left in his mouth-

“It was on Tuesday.”

Hunk’s voice was layered with something Shiro was unable to describe, it was a mixture of worry and fear like Hunk expected him to have a break down any second.

“Do you want to sit down?” Hunk suggested as he came closer, his steps hesitant. Shiro had put away the glasses at their rightful place and turned towards Hunk after he had closed the doors.

The soft look Hunk threw at him made Shiro feel almost uncomfortable.

“Seriously Hunk, I really appreciate your worry but this isn’t necessary.” He replied in a diplomatic voice and tried to pass by him with a few hurried steps.

Hunk didn’t let him. The hand on his upper arm felt like a vice and as Shiro turned his head in confusion, he met two determined eyes. They didn’t leave any room for argument.

“Yep, yep, totally is, Shiro.”

Shiro wanted to scream in frustration.

 

* * *

 

Five minutes later, Shiro sat in front of a filled plate he could never finish and of an expectant Hunk who rested his chin on the back of his crossed hands.

Smelling the food for the first time without distraction today, Shiro realized how hungry he really was. His stomach grumbled in agreement so he didn’t hesitate to pick up his chopsticks and take the first bite.

The rice filled his mouth with a beautiful well-known taste he hadn’t realized he had missed that much. Together with the fish and the spices, it made Shiro incredibly homesick.

“Is it good?” Hunk’s voice interrupted his daydreaming and brought him back to the table inside the Garrison, instead of the forest near his hometown.

“Yes, it’s very good, Hunk. As usual.” he answered, his smile tense.

Shiro was a good observer. So he didn’t miss the way Hunk flinched around on his chair like he needed to go somewhere but wasn’t allowed to. Paired with his worried face it made him sure Hunk had to hide something.

“Hunk, what is it?”

The other man flinched like someone had tried to shoot at him but had barely missed, and his eyes seemed ready to pop out of his skull any second.

“What is what?”

“You’re hiding something.”

“Uhm...”

The silence between them got more unbearable with each passing second before Hunk started stuttering.

“Well, uhm, y’know. It’s... Yeah... Uh...”

He went silent for another few seconds before he jerked up his head and looked straight into Shiro’s eyes. It was a bit unusual for him, to be honest.

"It's Keith, isn't it?"

Shiro’s stomach dropped at that question. It felt like it would fall into an endless hole before it crashed down the ground.

"Well, I just thought you'd be worried about him you know? Since he was injured and all."

“Hm.” Was the only intelligent thing coming to Shiro’s mind while he poked around in his food and shifted the rice from one side to the other. Why was everyone aware of his shifting feelings for Keith?

"You like him a lot, don't you?"

The rice Shiro tried to swallow transformed into a big chunk in his throat causing him to cough violently. His eyes started tearing up and Shiro felt like he didn’t get enough air.

A sudden, rough pat on his back stopped him from choking. Shiro forced his hands from shaking as he reached out for the red napkin. The tips of his lashes were slightly dampened.

“Are you okay?” Hunk sounded worried.  
He darted him a friendly smile: “Yeah I’m fine.”

Hunk’s eyebrows were furrowed - a clear sign of displeasure. “Sorry, I...” He stopped for some seconds, his lips still opened as he stared at the wall behind Shiro. “I should have known Keith is a difficult topic.”

Yeah, Keith was indeed a difficult topic. Much to Shiro’s discomfort.

They spent some more minutes in silence. Shiro finished his meal under Hunk’s observant eyes, the rice heavy in his mouth as he tried to swallow it.

At a particularly difficult ball of rice, Hunk interrupted him in a thoughtful tone.

“Keith talked to me recently, you know?”

Shiro perked up at that. That was new. Keith wasn’t the most outgoing guy to say at least but he had improved in the last three years.  
Yet, he still wasn’t really into talking to others casually if it wasn’t needed.

Hunk eyed the table between them as he continued talking.

“I was pretty down because of my family and he saw me. He found really nice words to comfort me.”

Comfort him? A sharp needle of surprise drilled itself into his heart as he processed those words. Comfort was something Keith didn’t give away to people he didn’t think of as important. He never did.

Keith next to him, cradling him in his arms after killing Sendak, his warm hands on his shoulders as he hugged Shiro, the searching fingertips on top of his chest plate, right over his heart.

A new pain pervaded him, bitter and strong. Jealousy.

“I’m so impressed by Keith.”

Shiro looked up again and saw nothing but earnest trust and respect in his friend’s eyes. His nude lips were stretched to a small smile and Shiro couldn’t fight the smile that came to his lips as he saw it. 

Hunk deserved to be liked by Keith as well. Shiro liked Hunk, too, after all. But differently and it confused Shiro more than anything else.

Had Keith sneaked his way to his heart without his notice? Had be fallen in love with the unruly mullet, the indigo eyes that had cast a spell over him, making it impossible for Shiro to look away when Keith looked at him?  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know! Kudos and comments motivate me like nothing else. ♡  
> If you want to follow me you can do it on [Tumblr](https://iokayia.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/iokayia).
> 
> Thank you all for reading!


	3. Piece Three - Allura

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey my dear readers,  
> I hope you had a lovely week and a beautiful weekend. This is the longest chapter so far and I'm rather proud of its outcome. I hope you'll enjoy as well and have a good start into the new week!
> 
> As always, this chapter wouldn't be here without my dear beta reader Rei - thank you a lot, really.
> 
> I wish you a lot of fun!

Allura was the scariest woman Shiro knew. She was strong, decisive, yet empathic. Shiro was very fond of her and valued her as a friend. So he couldn’t say no when she asked him if he would like to spar with her.

That had been this morning. Now, the afternoon sun peeked through the big windows as Shiro was hurrying down the long hallway that led to the sparring rooms. He was late —by almost thirty minutes —but a meeting had held him up. After that, he had run to his quarters to change into something more comfortable.

Allura and Shiro hadn’t sparred in a long time. It had been something they used to do in the training rooms of the Castle, drenched in sweat and breathing heavy into each other’s faces. Allura had been one of the few really challenging training partners.

He missed it.

Almost as much as sparring with Keith.

Shiro swallowed at the thought of Keith and their sparring sessions. He would never forget how unbelievable sexy Keith looked drenched in sweat.

Keith had been away since the dinner two days ago and he couldn’t deny the worried churn in his belly. Maybe something had happened to Keith and Shiro hadn’t be informed?  
His eyebrows furrowed– could that happen? Wasn’t someone obligated to tell him if Voltron, their most important ally, was okay? He was a former Paladin, after all, he had to know.

The sour feeling of fear didn’t leave as Shiro quickened his steps.

The training rooms of the Garrison were huge to say at least. The glassy ceiling allowed the light to flood the hall and illuminated the white walls and the dark tiles. The five sparring rings, set on raised platforms and scattered through the hall were empty as Shiro entered the room.

At least he thought they were. One of them, in the center of the room, was indeed being used. And the view it offered was nothing short of enchanting.

The ring was taken by two very familiar figures. One of them had white, almost silver hair and the other one… Shiro couldn’t swallow the faint gasp that left his lips.

Allura and Keith. Sparring. When did that happen?

Without realizing it, Shiro took a few steps forward, getting closer to them. As Allura swirled around, avoiding a hit by Keith (a very well placed on, as usual), Shiro looked around in panic, trying to find a less obvious way to watch the match.

He decided for the bench on the right side close to the entrance and a few meters away. Just enough to not be seen directly but close enough for him to see each move without problems.

The rhythmic sound of their feet on the mat echoed deep in Shiro and reminded him of his training days to become a pilot. A fond smile sneaked on his lips as he thought about Keith and his first day of training. He hadn’t known humans could get that tired. 

Right now, Keith didn’t look tired at all. His red tank top was drenched with sweat, leaving no room for imagination as Shiro observed the rippling muscles beneath it. Shiro tried to swallow. It didn’t work.

Same went for his pants. They were black and short, almost short enough to see… well, things that shouldn’t be seen. At least in public. Shiro never imagined something so revealing on Keith before but he couldn’t say he disliked it. It was… appealing. He realized how much he had missed. They didn’t hide a lot of Keith’s milky long legs, tickling the upper part of his thigh. 

When had legs become such a turn-on for him?

_Maybe since everything about Keith has become a major turn-on, you gay disaster._

The mocking voice in his head was right and he hated it. He sighed in resignation. His life was unfair. 

Keith’s movements were gracile and fluent, like those of a dancer. Seeing Keith fighting had a lot of similarities with dancing – it was a brutal dance, but so harmonic.  The sweat caused his bangs to stick to his forehead, beading on his sharp jaw and high cheekbones, dusted by a faint red flush. In this very moment, Keith had never looked more beautiful to him.

Shiro barely managed to suppress a dreamy sigh. Hurriedly, he tore his eyes away from the delicious view that was Keith and on Allura instead.

The pink marks on her cheeks glowed faintly and illuminated her skin, and her eyes sparkled with determination. Allura’s body was tensed like a bowstring, ready to lurch forward at any opening Keith allowed her.

She had never looked like that when they had sparred. Maybe because Shiro hadn’t offered her a challenge like her current sparring partner did.

Instead of Shiro, Keith didn’t seem impressed at all. His whole body radiated confidence, his movements a picture of a great warrior. He reminded Shiro a bit of himself, as he still had been a gladiator in the arena.

A shiver crept up his neck as he allowed the memories to come back. The humid air, the bestial screams of the dying fighters, the excited yelling all around him. 

His vision blurred before he managed to snap out of it. Not today, there was no time for him to get flashbacks, not now. They had more important things to do,  _he_ had more important things to do.

Like watching Keith in his way too short pants circling around Allura with flashing yellow eyes and pointy canines.  
Shiro loved Keith’s Galra side, it fitted Keith. Sadly, he only had seen it once in a rather unfortunate situation he would love to forget about. Well, not all of it but-

_I love you!_

His heart clenched sweetly at the memory of those words and he had to avert his eyes from Keith to not get wrong ideas. It had been a strictly brotherly thing. He was Keith’s big brother and he had to respect that. There would never be more between them, regardless of how much he wished for it.

Never.

A low sigh left his lips before he looked back at his teammates. At least he could watch him from afar, that had to be enough.

Something told him it wasn’t.

They prowled around each other like two lions and Shiro’s breath hitched in his throat, unable to bear the tension thickening the air. Hungry, his eyes followed the movements of their bodies, the dancing of their feet, the flickering of their eyes and the complete stiffness of their hands hovering in front of their bodies, eagerly waiting to be used.

Allura finally released them. The sole of her shoes made an ugly scratching sound on the mat as she lurched forward. Shiro’s eyes followed her movements as she made one big step forward, her whole body one elegant movement as she hovered over Keith, her arms rising quickly to—

Apparently, too slow for Keith.

The moment she tried to attack him, Keith put his gloved hands on her upper arms, minimizing the space to them to almost nothing. 

And then everything happened in a few seconds.

Somehow, Keith managed to sneak his feet between Allura’s ankles, twisting it around so she lost her stance. For a few seconds, she tried to regain it, but Shiro knew it was impossible.

Shiro swallowed thickly as he realized Keith had foreseen her movements all along. Suddenly, it got way too hot in his stupid tank top and Shiro closed his eyes for a few seconds.

_Patience yields focus._

Keith needed a lot of patience that was for sure. 

He opened his eyes as he heard a loud thud shaking the mat. As he realized what he saw he wished he would never have opened his eyes.

He laid on top of Allura, his face mushed between her shoulders, dangerously close to her neck. His arms framed her body like he was embracing her. It looked awful domestic and somehow a bit sexual, and Shiro hated how something so simple could manipulate him. 

He was defenseless against the wave of jealousy and bitterness that drowned his mind. It swept through every corner of his brain, filling it with awful thoughts Shiro had never even dared to allow to himself.

Were Keith and Allura a thing? Did he wait too long? Long enough for Keith to find someone?

His teeth sunk into his bottom lip, averting his gaze from Keith who just got back on his feet and offered Allura his hand to get up, a warm smile dancing on his lips.

Shiro‘s heart broke into a million pieces as their eyes met: Warm and welcoming.

“That was very impressive, Keith” Allura’s voice was full of adoration that made Shiro’s chest tighten uncomfortably 

“Thank you” Keith replied with a small smile that had Shiro twitching with the urge to separate the two of them.

They continued to look into each other's eyes and it was enough for Shiro to understand this wasn’t the place where he was supposed to be. His heart dropped at the idea of leaving them alone, it was the only right decision.

He had been too late. In a lot of things, apparently.

Yet, he didn’t get the chance to get up because a certain voice sounded behind him, making Shiro want to be swallowed by the ground instantly.

“Oho, look at that.”

Shiro tensed at those words before he whipped his head to the left only to be confronted with James Griffin.

He stood directly behind Shiro, his usual uniform replaced by dark blue jeans and an orange tank top, showing off his toned abs. He must have been outside, judging by the thin layer of dust on his clothes, and Shiro started to wonder how he managed to not drown in his own sweat in this oppressive heat.

His slow transcending smirk was unbearable as he fixed his eyes on Keith, who was still talking to Allura about something. Shiro didn’t pay attention, he was busy thinking about a location where nobody would find Griffin’s dead body.

“Look at what exactly, Cadet Griffin?” He almost growled. The distress in his voice must have been obvious for Griffin, who turned his head, finally meeting Shiro’s eyes.

He wished he hadn’t - he was too weak to stand the expression in them. Knowledge. 

Griffin’s eyes trailed over his face like he tried to find something in it before he suddenly stepped forward. Before Shiro was able to react, he leaned down right next to his left ear.

His hot breath tickled his earlobe and Shiro was tempted to look at him just to see how far his lips were away so he could shove him away in disgust. But he couldn’t, he had to stay focused. Yeah, focused on Keith’s beautiful, soft smi-

“You know what? I’ll ask him out at the end of this week. And believe me; I know that man is thirsty for some good dicking.”

Shiro suppressed a primal growl which made him shake in fury, causing Griffin to chuckle.

“How weak of you, _Captain_ Shirogane.”

Griffin put some distance between them, leaving Shiro behind disgusted and confused as Keith and Allura finally stepped out of the sparring ring, chuckling and smiling at each other. Shiro could have sworn Griffin laughed at him behind his back and he could understand why. Keith reduced him to an absolute mess of feelings, pining and desperation.  
Allura was the first one who saw them and her smile brightened a bit in return. Shiro, aside from his jealousy, couldn’t suppress the twitch of his lips. 

“Shiro, Cadet Griffin!” She greeted them, her voice full of joy as she approached them, Keith only a few steps behind her. Shiro nodded at her gently before he finally, finally drew his eyes to Keith and damn, he looked even sexier up close.

“Hello, Shiro.” Keith greeted him with an honest smile, his voice so unbearable soft it almost made Shiro melt. But that would be inappropriate, so he decided for a warm smile instead. 

“Hello, Keith.” He replied and the barely defeated the wish to enclose the other man in his arms. That would be even more inappropriate.

Griffin interrupted his thoughts — thankfully — with the smooth voice, almost a purr, that Shiro hated.“Hello, Keith.”

Keith averted his eyes from Shiro, who felt like a dying man all of sudden, towards Griffin and his look changed almost indistinguishable but Shiro saw it. It was distant, almost cold as if Keith raised the walls around his heart again Shiro had broken down so carefully.

His voice was also firmer but not unfriendly, all the leader he was now. “Hello, Griffin.” 

“Iverson sent me, he wants to see you as soon as possible.”

Shiro wanted to kick Griffin out of the window and tell him lying wasn’t something dutiful Cadets did. Yet, he could do nothing as he watched Keith nodding and giving Allura and him an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, but I have to go,” Keith sounded actually regretful Shiro noticed, “duty calls.”

Had anyone ever told Keith how beautiful his lopsided grin was? 

“That’s not a problem at all, Keith.” Allura reassured him in a gentle tone before she looked at Shiro, “we wanted to spar anyway, right, Shiro?”

“Of course,” he answered, trying to sound as friendly as possible and not like he wanted to murder someone, “Don’t feel bad about it, Keith.”  
The smile that formed on the man’s lips was worth every pain. 

Keith’s soft, “We’ll make up on that,” was all Griffin allowed him before he interrupted them with a loud cough and reached for the door.  
With a last look into his eyes, Keith turned around to catch up on Griffin.

Their footsteps echoed in the hallway and resonated in Shiro’s ears as they turned around the corner and Shiro’s heart ached to follow them. Quickly, he lowered his gaze to avoid being seen by Allura. It didn’t work.

“There is nothing to be jealous about, Shiro.”

Allura’s serious tone made him look up from his hands, jaw tightening. Her eyes were honest and caring and suddenly Shiro felt awful for behaving so childish. Yet, something prevented him from being honest with Allura as well, and he hated the words that left his lips.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Shiro was a terrible liar. Even more to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you had a bit fun reading this new chapter (I hope it was at least a bit angsty) and if you did, please let me know through kudos and a comment, that means a lot to me!
> 
> You can follow me on [Tumblr](https://iokayia.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/iokayia). 
> 
> See you next week! <3


	4. Piece Four - Pidge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you all!
> 
> I hope you had a wonderful week and the hurricane won't hit you and if it does, I hope you're already safe. This chapter was fun to write bc I really enjoy writing Pidge, I hope she comes across as in-character.  
> As always, I want to thank my beta, who happens to be [la rubinita](https://larubinita.tumblr.com) this time, thank you a lot! 
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Have fun!

“Screwdriver.”

“Here.”

“Thank you.”

Pidge’s voice was muffled by the heavy metal of Black’s console as she shifted on her back but it felt unnaturally loud in the vast quietness of the cockpit. Shiro, who stood in front of her, shifted on his feet. He had been busy with assisting Pidge for some time now and they had started to hurt. 

The Black Lion had behaved strangely today, Keith had reported via com to the Atlas. Shiro, all the worried Captain, had stopped the training flight of the Atlas immediately to return to the Garrison and had ignored the sudden chuckle of Veronica and Coran as he reassured Keith to be there in a few ticks.    

In hindsight, it may have been a bit too obvious but Shiro couldn’t control it—Keith did something awfully beautiful to his nerves.

After Shiro had met up with Keith and the paladins (his steps might have been a bit  _too_ fast to pass for normal) it turned out Black needed a quite overdue check-up. Pidge had offered to take a look at it and for some reason she had decided to take Shiro with him, ignoring Iverson’s and Veronica’s protests. 

Much to Shiro’s distress. He wouldn’t have minded staring a bit longer at the adrenaline pumped look in Keith’s eyes. 

And that was how they had ended up in the cockpit of his former lion and partner, Shiro holding a toolbox, filled with things he couldn’t even name and Pidge underneath the console, occasionally making worried sounds. He had to force himself not to ask Pidge what she did down there every time she sounded like she would get stabbed in the back again. He wouldn’t understand it anyway.

The ruffling of clothes drew his attention back to the floor beneath him where a small hand reached out to him. He smiled as he heard Pidge’s muffled voice:  “Wrench.”

“Any progress yet?” Shiro asked as he took the screwdriver out of her hand. Pidge’s lean fingers curled around the tool’s grip while she made a considering sound. 

“Well, I wouldn’t call it progress...” she answered before she stopped for some seconds, letting the word trail off. Shiro knew what she was up to. They had made no progress yet, not at all. 

He kept his voice free of annoyance as he asked: “So there isn’t any yet?” 

Instead of an answer, he got the high screeching of metal on metal making Shiro twitch slightly as it assaulted his ears. 

“Well, I’m not sure what Black’s problem is in the first place. The data analysis didn’t have any results.” Another sound swallowed her explanation when something metallic fell down on the ground alongside a small groan. Shiro’s eyebrows furrowed. 

“Are you okay?”

The answer consisted of another groan and a, “Yeah I’m good.”

He didn’t believe her. Not at all. 

“What are you doing?”

Another metallic sound echoed through the cockpit and Shiro wondered if it would be socially acceptable to crawl under the desk and pull Pidge back to make sure she was okay. 

_ No, it’s not and you know it. _

Shiro hated the voice in his head sometimes. 

Pidge was quiet for some seconds, driving Shiro insane with worry. She finally released him as she raised her voice, distracted and absent sounding and he imagined she was staring at something intensely like she did so often. 

“At the moment I’m trying to get to the console computer.  Maybe it has some information about Black’s current state.”

Shiro nodded in understanding before he realized she couldn’t see him. So he quickly hummed and let his eyes drift back to the hangar in front of them. He tried to distract himself from the growing worry raging in his belly.

Pidge didn’t need a protector or someone who watched over her. She was old enough to do it herself. Shiro knew that and he respected it but he couldn’t deny the nagging feeling in his chest urging him to throw himself all over the ones he loved and putting their needs above his own. In other words, the usual business for Takashi Shirogane.

At least it used to be. An ill-humored huff left his lips as he remembered the recent happenings. It wasn’t his job to save people. It hadn’t been for a long time. It was his job to get saved.

Lance’s worried face as he looked at Kuron, Allura’s sacrifice, Coran’s trust-filled eyes, Hunk’s worry and... well, his heart clenched violently. 

Keith’s smile, his eyes reflecting the whole universe making Shiro want nothing more than to get lost in them and to be found never again, his strong hand around his arm, refusing to let him go at any cost, ready to die with him at any given second. 

Shiro’s breath hitched.

_ As many times as it takes. _

He closed his eyes.

_ We saved each other. _

His very own cosmos stopped and felt apart.

_ I love you. _

There was no one else he would rather be saved by than Keith. Not in all galaxies and realities.

The realization hit him stronger than expected, and he had to look down at his feet to stabilize himself. He hadn’t been aware of the impact it would have, how it carved its way to his heart, leaving bloody scars. It made him want to curl into a ball, shaking with fear and the feeling of worthlessness slowly killing him.

He hadn’t known how insanely weak he was. How weak he was for Keith.

And yet, it didn’t feel completely bad. It was quite the opposite. It made him feel wanted on a very weird level he didn’t even fully understand himself. But maybe he didn’t need to. Maybe this was some sort of destiny the universe had decided to lay upon him. 

Maybe he had been made for being saved by Keith. 

“-iro! Shiro!”

Pidge’s annoyed voice and itching hand interrupted the memories of Keith, and Shiro cleared his throat in embarrassment. 

“Uhm, yeah?”

A groan followed the grabbing motion of her hand. “What are you doing up there? I was asking you for the screwdriver!”

The piercing feeling of horror filled his chest. How long had he allowed himself to be distracted by Keith?

“Ahm, yeah sure, wait a sec...” Shiro turned around, his fingers searching for the pointy head of the tool.

A muffled scream made Shiro twitch violently. He jerked up his head to check what was happening, his pupils blown wide, his whole body tensed and ready to act. It had come from the outside, so Shiro let his eyes shift over the hangar in front of the Black Lion.

Pidge, who had jumped up from under the console, framed his right side. She stared at him with wide eyes and her voice sounded as alarmed as he felt when she raised it.

“What is happening?!”

Shiro tried his best to control his voice to not upset her any further but he couldn’t deny that the arching fear raging in his chest made it extremely difficult. 

“I’m not sure. We should go down to ch-”

He silenced himself as something ran into their field of view, or rather someone. An ugly Garrison uniform clenching around broad shoulders which were framed by beautiful, inky hair. Strong, long legs making big steps, shaped by muscles and precise definition.

Keith. 

A ball of black fur lined by neon blue stripes ran around his feet.

Cosmo.

Keith and Cosmo.

Shiro’s eyes followed Keith’s elegant movements almost desperately like he was starving. Keith’s exiting yells and laughter echoed in his ears.

He hadn’t known that Keith could let so... loose. Laughing openly would have been an unacceptable behavior only a year ago for him, not even to speak about showing emotion this frequently.

It filled Shiro with a strange sense of pride, knowing Keith evolved so much and being at least a part of it.

His pride must have been obvious since Pidge cleared her throat rather loudly. 

“You know, Shiro.” He turned around to look at her, meeting unusually soft eyes. “Maybe it’s time you tell him.”

Shiro swallowed. Not her as well. There were enough people trying to tell him he needed to tell Keith and it pressured him. He knew he needed to do it, of course, he had to at one point but that didn’t mean he couldn’t wait a bit more. 

He knew procrastinating wouldn’t help him, of course, it wouldn’t. But he didn’t want to ruin it. The special bond he and Keith shared, it was too precious, too important for him to waste it with a dumb confession.

Who even knew what Keith’s preference was? Maybe he wasn’t into men at all? Maybe he hated the idea of other peoples’ dicks and hard muscles. Maybe, and Shiro swallowed again at that idea, he already had someone. Maybe someone was waiting for him on Earth, or someone from the Blades. Who even knew? He also couldn’t ask Keith; that would be so weird. 

He literally couldn’t do anything and it killed Shiro. Slowly and softly, but with the same intensity, a sword would.

It was hell. His own personal hell. 

Shiro never would have guessed that Keith would be the one killing him. The one he loved the most.

“Maybe,” he answered.  He tried to avert his gaze from Keith, who had fallen down on the flow with Cosmo on top of him. The excited bark rang in his ears and awakened the need of being with them in Shiro’s chest.

“If you won’t, Keith will be gone, Shiro.”

Pidge’s voice was stern and sharp, like a sword, and it cut its way straight to Shiro’s heart. It hurt how right she was and it made him feel even more miserable.

There was not a lot to say besides the truth, it made no sense to hide it anyway. Everyone knew it. His voice was as broken as his heart as he stared outside.

“I know, Pidge.” 

The small hand on his arm was no comparison to the warm embrace Keith’s hand offered him countless times, but he knew nothing in this world ever would.

His eyes returned to Pidge, who smiled at him. It was an honest smile, full of compassion and friendship.

“We all know you have a special connection, Keith and you. He would die for you, Shiro.”

_ Like I would die for him. _

“He would travel to the edges of the universe to find and rescue you, without any hesitation.”

_ I will save him as many times as it takes. _

“He is waiting for you, Shiro.”

_ Like I’m waiting for him. _

“Don’t make him wait any longer.”

Shiro’s voice was breathy and quiet as he managed to press out a whisper without starting to cry: “I won’t.”

Pidge’s eyes sparkled with pride. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Together, they watched Keith running around with his dog and smiling broadly. Suddenly, the world didn’t look as dark as it used to anymore. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know with kudos or a comment! They always motivate me like nothing else!  
> If you want to come screaming at me about Voltron and Sheith, you can do so on [Tumblr](https://iokayia.tumblr.com) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/iokayia)! I always love to talk to other sheith fans!
> 
> I hope your next week will be awesome and beautiful! Have a nice day and until next Sunday!


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